The Ascension of Minecraft Dog 3 - The Journey Home
This is the third book of the series. It tells the tale of love, heartbreak, and sorrow... PART 1 ' ' Darkness. It was all that Minecraft Dog knew. It was his world now. At the first glance of light, Minecraft Dog’s heart leapt with joy. It had been so long since he’d seen precious light. Slowly but surely, consciousness slipped back to Minecraft Dog. When his vision cleared, he was greeted by a tall, thin woman of color. ' ' “Oh, you’re awake! I thought you’d never wake up. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ms. Obeme, first woman president of the United States. Who might you be?” Minecraft Dog remained silent for a moment, still shell-shocked from everything that had happened to him over the past few days. Finally, he replied in a croaky voice, ' ' “Si senorita, I am Minecraft Dog.” “Minecraft Dog,” echoed Ms. Obeme. “How in the world did you manage to get here in the first place? The Black House has the best security in the country.” ' ' “I don’t know,” Minecraft Dog replied in all his honesty. “But I do remember what happened to me before I got here.” Minecraft Dog retold his legacy to Ms. Obeme. She listened to the entire story, taking in every little detail. Finally, when Minecraft Dog finished his tell-tale, she replied in an understanding voice, “I see...Well, you’ve come to the right place. I might be able to help yo-” A deafening “CRASH” interrupted Ms. Obeme’s speech. ' ' “What the-” ' ' The two whirled around, and were greeted by a short, fluffy mouse lemur. ' ' Ms. Obeme’s jaw dropped. “No...It can’t be.” “But it is I,” declared the intruder, standing his ground. “I, Mort, am going to say the N-word!” Ms. Obeme became void of all emotion except for fear itself. “N-No...You can’t say the N-word in the Black House, that’s racist,” she retorted. ' ' Mort ignored Ms. Obeme’s words, and instead began to fill his lungs with air. “NIIIIIIGGGG-” ' ' “STOP RIGHT THERE,” a loud voice boomed, cutting off Mort’s forbidden use of the N-word. ' ' “Who dares?...” Suddenly, as quick as a flash, the penguins of Madagascar dropped from the ceiling, all wielding Nerf guns. They aimed their weapons at Mort, loading them with styrofoam bullets. ' ' “Buenos dias, frickboy,” muttered the penguins in perfect unison. The four of them pulled the triggers of their Nerf guns, unflinching as the foam bullets fired from their projectiles. The penguins watched in horror as the bullets bounced unharmingly off of Mort’s luxurious, golden pelt. ' ' “You’re weak,” laughed Mort. “Prepare to face your demise, Ms. Obeme.” ' ' A single tear rolled down Ms. Obeme’s cheek. This was it. This was the end...Or was it? ' ' “NOT SO FAST, SENOR,” snapped Minecraft Dog, suddenly stepping into the scene. He withdrew his trusty gun, aiming it at Mort. ' ' “And what are you going to do with THAT,” teased Mort. ' ' With a grunt, Minecraft Dog pulled the trigger. A gleaming bullet accelerated from the blast, impaling Mort in the chest. He instantly died. ' ' Minecraft Dog blew the smoke from his gun, before shoving it back into his poncho pocket. ' ' “Senorita, I have stopped racism,” proudly proclaimed Minecraft Dog. ' ' “Thank you Minecraft Dog. Now I am free to roam this earth,” exclaimed Ms. Obeme, embracing Minecraft Dog in a tight hug. “Ummm, Ms. Obeme? What about us,” asked Skipper and his comrades. ' ' Ms. Obeme shot a hateful glare at the penguins. “You pathetic birds...You did nothing to help me in my aid. You will be exiled from the face of this country.” And they were! Ms. Obeme stayed true to her words as she banished the penguins of madagascar from the United States. Minecraft and Ms. Obeme watched unblinkingly as the penguins began their harsh journey out of the country. ' ' “I almost feel bad for them,” choked Ms. Obeme, tears welling in her eyes. “But it had to be done.” “Senorita, please don’t cry,” exclaimed Minecraft Dog. “Think of it this way; they deserved it. You served them justice on a steaming hot plate.” “I know, but…” Ms. Obeme was unable to finish her sentence as she erupted into a weeping mess. Tears flowed freely down her face. ' ' There was nothing Minecraft Dog could say to make her feel better. The only thing he could do was wrap her in a comforting hug, gently rocking her. ' ' “There there,” he whispered, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Everything’s going to be okay…” ' ' “Thank you, Minecraft Dog,” wept Ms. Obeme, falling limp in his arms like a ragdoll. “I wish there were more people like you in this cruel world. Kind, generous, brave people like you.” Ms. Obeme turned her gaze directly towards Minecraft Dog, her eyes sparkling like diamonds from her tears. ' ' “You are my knight in shining green armor.” She planted a kiss on Minecraft Dog’s cheek. ' ' “S-Senorita,” stammered Minecraft Dog, his cheeks flaring up a bright red. “I think we should celebrate this moment in history,” commented Ms. Obeme, lifting herself from Minecraft Dog. “We should go down the the local bar. It’s the best one in the country.” ' ' “I think that would be a splendid idea,” agreed Minecraft Dog, helping Ms. Obeme up. “But how are we going to get there?” “Just watch and learn,” said Ms. Obeme with a wink. Minecraft Dog was confused by her words at first, but he soon understood as she stuck her fingers in her mouth and conceived a high-pitched whistle. ' ' “YOO HOO, LIMO!” The shrieking of tires could be heard from afar. Less than a minute later, an elongated, white limo came rolling up the curb, shining in all its glory. ' ' ' ' The man who was driving the limo stepped out to greet the two. ' ' “Greetings, Ms. Obeme. I, Serving Man Two, am ready to serve you.” He took notice of the stranger standing next to her. “And who might this be?” “Serving Man Two,” began Ms. Obeme, holding Minecraft Dog’s hand tightly in hers. “I would like for you to meet Minecraft Dog.” The two exchanged warm glances at each other, glances that only lovers shared. ' ' “Nice to meet you, Minecraft Dog,” exclaimed Serving Man Two, shaking hands with the prickly guest. ' ' “Nice to meet you too, senor,” replied Minecraft Dog. ' ' “Now, where are you two wanting to go tonight,” asked Serving Man Two. ' ' “The Golden Nugget Nin-Nin Hall,” addressed Ms. Obeme. ' ' “Ah, I see...This must be a special occasion, eh,” inquired Serving Man Two. ' ' “As a matter of fact, it is,” stated Ms. Obeme. ' ' “Alright, then what are we waiting for? C’mon you two, let’s get going,” ushered Serving Man Two, holding open one of the doors to the limo. Once the two were seated comfortably in the limo, Serving Man Two drove them down to their destination. ' ' On the way there, Ms. Obeme informed Minecraft Dog of a special guest who would be performing at the bar that night. ' ' “His name is Dancing Cockroach,” began Ms. Obeme. “As his name implies, he’s a cockroach that dances. He’s the best dancer in all of Washington DC. I think you’ll enjoy his performance.” ' ' With a final squeak of the rubber tires, the limo pulled up to the bar. ' ' “This one’s on me,” affirmed Serving Man Two, seeing Ms. Obeme pull out her wallet. “You two go out there and enjoy yourselves.” ' ' Stepping out of the limo, they two bid farewell to Serving Man Two as he took off, speeding away from the bar. “Now the real fun begins,” crooned Ms. Obeme, lightly pinching Minecraft Dog’s cheek. ' ' ' ' Neon lights sliced through the darkness of the room. Digital music was blaring proudly from the giant speakers. People, both sober, drunk, and in between were partying their souls out. In the midst of it all, there he was, the man, or rather the insect of the night, Dancing Cockroach. He was performing his nightly special, the one he was so used to doing every Saturday night. ' ' ' ' Suddenly, in mid dance, he stopped. His antennas, twitching with every vibration of the bar, could sense the presence of something, or perhaps someONE. Whirling around, he found Ms. Obeme and Minecraft Dog standing by the doorway. ' ' “MS. OBEME,” he called out, waving his stick-like arms at them. ' ' The two returned his greeting, waving back at him from the tsunami of people. Dancing Cockroach motioned for the two to follow him backstage. In doing so, the two found relief from all the noise happening outside. ' ' “Take a seat, both of you,” he offered, sitting down on a cushioned chair. Minecraft Dog and Ms. Obeme took a seat in a baby-blue love couch, straight across from Dancing Cockroach. ' ' “Dancing Cockroach,” began Ms. Obeme, “I would like for you to meet Minecraft Dog.” “Ahoy, senor,” Minecraft Dog chimed in, shaking hands with Dancing Cockroach. ' ' “Say...What are you two doing here anyways,” asked Dancing Cockroach. “It’s for a special occasion,” cooed Ms. Obeme, kissing Minecraft Dog on the cheek. ' ' “Actually,” began Minecraft Dog, feeling rather bashful, “It’s for a cause. I need your help, Dancing Cockroach. I need your help too, Ms. Obeme.” “What? Is that the real reason why you wanted me to take you here,” snapped Ms. Obeme. ' ' “Nonono, senorita! I swear,” assured Minecraft Dog. “But seriously, I need help getting back to my hometown, Kingsport, Tennessee. What’s the most direct route from here to there?” ' ' The two pondered the question for a moment. Finally, they came to a conclusion. ' ' “I believe you will find this useful,” advised Dancing Cockroach, handing Minecraft Dog a map. ' ' “Very useful,” added Ms. Obeme. ' ' ' ' “Oh, it’s perfect! Thank you, senor,” beamed Minecraft Dog, embracing Dancing Cockroach in a hug. ' ' “WOAH MAN,” barked Dancing Cockroach, shoving Minecraft Dog away. “That’s kinda gay.” ' ' “No homo, I have socks on,” Minecraft Dog quickly added in. “That’s better,” snorted Dancing Cockroach. ' ' “Well boys, if we wanna get back to Kingsport, we’d best leave now,” addressed Ms. Obeme. “I will have Serving Man Two escourt you home in the presidential limo. I will come with you, of course.” “As will I,” added in Dancing Cockroach. ' ' “Then let us begin our journey back to Minecraft Dog’s homeland,” adressed Ms. Obeme. “YOO HOO, LIMO!” ' ' MEANWHILE IN H*CC… ' ' “I don’t get paid enough for this job,” grumbled Minecraft Spider. He had just finished judging his 69th soul of the day, and he was beat. ' ' BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP! ' ' The sudden noise startled Minecraft Spider, until he realized that it was just his wristwatch going off. ' ' “Finally,” Minecraft Spider muttered under his breath. “My five-minute break has commenced.” ' ' Scratching his scarlet chin with a spider-like limb, he got to thinking...What exactly would he do with his five minutes? ' ' Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun… Minecraft Spider could clearly hear the Jeopardy theme playing at the moment. It taunted him as the seconds of his five minute break ticked away. ' ' Finally, he had a genius idea. ' ' “I know I shouldn’t be judging people during my break, but this needs to be done,” he snickered, a toothy grin stretched across his face. ' ' “Minecraft Dog,” growled Minecraft Spider, opening a rift into H*cc. The rift gave way to Minecraft Dog. He was sitting in the back of the presidential limo, cuddling Ms. Obeme. ' ' Minecraft Spider CRIMGED, closing the rift. “Just as I expected...His soul has been weighed down by bad decisions recently. He needs some adjustment.” A lightbulb went off in his mind. “I GOT IT!” ' ' Minecraft Spider couldn’t help but chuckle as he recited the summoning words of an entity long forgotten...Cocktus Gayman. ' ' “Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple ' ' These are the colors of the rainbow; the symbol of the gay ' ' Bring forth on this mortal world a pain like a great needle ' ' And return to the rising day!” ' ' The ground underneath Minecraft Spider began to quake in such a violent way, that he almost fell off of the rail system which held him suspended in midair. ' ' “Yes...YES! LET IT BE DONE! COME FORTH, COCKTUS GAYMAN,” shouted Minecraft Spider, laughing hysterically as he fell to the ground with a loud “THUD!” ' ' From the ground erupted Cocktus Gayman, an unholy entity which Satan himself deemed too sinful to even roam H*cc. Thus, he was banished to H*cc’s dungeon. But those days were long gone now, for he was back. “Ahh, it feels absolutely marvelous to be out of that musty old dungeon for once,” moaned Cocktus Gayman, flexing his bulging muscles. “My pectrols have been dying to be flexed again...What a sensational feeling!” ' ' When Cocktus Gayman was done admiring himself, he finally took notice of Minecraft Spider, who was still lying helplessly on the ground. “Ahem, over here,” hissed Minecraft Spider, annoyed by this prickly plant’s arrogance. ' ' “Oh, and who might we have here? My, but if it isn’t little ‘ole Minecraft Spider,” cooed Cocktus Gayman, walking over to the fallen set of scales. ' ' “Yes, that’s me,” acknowledged Minecraft Spider. “Now help me up, will you?” ' ' “I could, but it arouses me to see you...So helpless,” Cocktus Gayman mOanEd, licking his lips. “But, I suppose I can help you up for a small price...Allow me to bring my friends, The Metallicats, back to the mortal world with me.” ' ' “As long as they can fix Minecraft Dog’s behavior, I suppose they may come with you,” sighed Minecraft Spider. “Now help me up!” Cocktus Gayman leaned down, right next to Minecraft Spider, until his spiney mouth practically touched Minecraft Spider’s ear. ' ' “That’s what I like to hear.” Rising back to his full height of 6’9, he helped Minecraft Spider back onto the rail system which kept him afloat. ' ' “There, better?” ' ' “Yes,” replied Minecraft Spider. “No go up to the mortal world with your friends, and fix Minecraft Dog.” “Okay boomer,” cooed Cocktus Gayman, playfully flicking Minecraft Spider’s nose. “METALLICATS, COME FORTH!” ' ' Once again, the ground began to quake in such a tremendous way that Minecraft Spider almost fell off of his rail system again. He would’ve if it hadn’t been for Cocktus Gayman, he held onto him all the while this was happening. ' ' Heavy metal music began to blare from the crack forming in the ground. It poured out in thick, ear-ringing chords. ' ' “M-My ears,” whimpered Minecraft Spider, as blood trickled down his ears. ' ' “Sorry- what did you say, sweetie? Hold on tight, it’ll all be over soon” urged Cocktus Gayman, wiping the blood from Minecraft Spider’s ear canals. ' ' The music stopped as a series of deafening meows rung out from the crack. A furry, orange arm popped out from the crack. It scrambled frantically as it grabbed onto the crack’s ledge. It dragged a large, orange cat out of the crack. ' ' “Metallicats,” the cat growled, his wispy, golden hair swaying in the wind, “Our time has come...To claim the mortal world once again! Come forth, comrades!” Three other cats clawed their way out of the crack, which seemed to magically seal itself right before their eyes once the Metallicats were out. ' ' “I, Lars, vow to spread my venom to humans. They will know what it feels like to be a werecat,” growled the short, tabby grey cat who called himself Lars. ' ' “I, Kirk, swear upon the same oath,” yowled the spotted white-and-brown cat who called himself Kirk. ' ' “Brothers, calm yourselves. I, Cliff, will make the humans fear us,” meowed the final calico cat who called himself Cliff. ' ' “METALLICATS, UNITE,” all four of them shouted in perfect unison, before vanishing into mid air. ' ' “Those four are never patient for even a minute,” sighed Cocktus Gayman. “I should go after them.” Turning to Minecraft Spider, he uttered a single phrase. ' ' “Toodaloo~” ' ' And then he was gone. Minecraft Spider was, once again, all alone. ' ' BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP! His five minute break was up. He sighed, not out of annoyance, but out of relief. That had been the strangest five minute break he’d ever had. ' ' MEANWHILE AT THE GOLDEN NUGGET NIN-NIN HALL... Cocktus Gunman had been teleported to this location for reasons unknown. It was the last place Minecraft Dog had been, so it seemed reasonable. Searching amongst the crowds of people, he found four pairs of elongated ears poking out from the sea of humans. Cocktus Gayman grunted, annoyed that his loyal Metallicats had gotten themselves tangled in the human ways. Not even an hour on earth, and they were already drunk off their lids, partying with these commoners. Typical of them. He would have to rely on his wits if he wanted to find Minecraft Dog. ' ' “ATTENTION RESIDENTS OF EARTH,” boomed Cocktus Gayman. The partying stopped, as did the music and the strobe-lites. All eyes were on Cocktus Gayman. “Have any of you seen this man?” He held up a picture of Minecraft Dog for the crowd to examine. The humans exchanged murmurs amongst each other, until one finally had the courage to speak up. ' ' “We saw that man earlier with the president, dancing cockroach, and a serving man,” informed a man in his mid 20’s. “They’re going to Kingsport, Tennessee.” “Perfect~ Thank you, darling,” cooed Cocktus Gayman, patting the commoner on the head. “We will head to Kingsport.” ' ' The Metallicats, still drunk, were obviously not paying attention. ' ' Clearing his throat, Cocktus Gayman restated himself. ' ' “Ahem. I said, that we will head to Kingport.” Yet again, the imbeciles ignored him. ' ' “METALLICATS!” That seemed to get their attention. ' ' “Y-Yes *hic* sir,” babbled James, turning to face Cocktus Gayman. ' ' “We...Will...Head...To...Kingsport...Tennessee,” he growled, finally drilling his message into the pathetic animals’ heads. ' ' “Yes sir,” the four animals said in perfect unison. “We’re ready whenever you are.” “Then let us begin our trip to Kingsport Tennessee,” ushered Cocktus Gayman. “We will strike down the one they call...MINECRAFT DOG!” In the blink of an eye, the five mysterious beings vanished into thin air. They had just begun their journey to Kingsport Tennessee. ' ' PART 2 ' ' “WELCOME TO TENNESSEE,” read the sign. The presidential limo had just crossed over Virginia’s borderline, and into Tennessee. ' ' “Home at last,” beamed Minecraft Dog. “I thought I would never step foot in sweet Tennessian soil again…” ' ' Little did they realize, they were being watched from afar...Every little movement the limo made, every conversation being held in the limo - it was all being monitored by… Boomer Man. ' ' “TARGET LOCKED. ALL MILLENNIALS WILL BE ANNIHILATED.” ' ' Aiming his arm-canons at the presidential limo, he began the countdown. “TEN, NINE, EIGHT, SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE…” Two projectiles accelerated from Boomer Man’s arm canons, and collided with the presidential limo. Time itself seemed to stop as what remained of the limo was engulfed in flames. The attack helicopter was flung off the back of the limo. ' ' By some miracle Minecraft Dog had survived. He crawled his way out of the flaming wreckage, searching the area for the others. He was not prepared for what he saw… ' ' Serving man 2 was lying by the side of the road in a puddle of his own blood, barely recognizable from being burned alive in the wreckage. He was dead...Or was he? Minecraft Dog was mortified to find his chest still heaving, ever so slowly, up and down. He was suffering. ' ' “SENOR,” shouted Minecraft Dog, running up to Serving man 2. ' ' Serving man 2’s eyelids cracked open, bloodshot and filled with pain. ' ' “M-minecraft Dog...Come closer….” Minecraft Dog did as he was instructed, taking Serving man 2 into his arms. “Senor, you can’t die now! We’re almost home. We’ll get help soon, I promise.” ' ' Servingman 2 managed to utter a weak chuckle, blood trickling down his chin. ' ' “Minecraft Dog, you know I can’t. I can feel the world as I know it fading as I speak. I….I....Please, remember me. Tell Ms. Obeme and Dancing Cockroach that I said goodbye.” ' ' Tears welled up in Minecraft Dog’s eyes. “S-senor, please don’t die…” Locking eyes with minecraft Dog, he uttered his last sentence. ' ' “Goodbye, friend…” Serving man 2 went limp like a ragdoll in Minecraft Dog’s arms. ' ' “S-senor,” uttered Minecraft Dog, barely able to get that single word out as a stoney lump rose in his throat. “Please, wake up. SENOR!” Minecraft Dog was unable to control the tears as they came flowing down his face in thick globs, obscuring his vision. “Wake up, please!” ' ' Minecraft Dog felt a spiny arm rest on his shoulder. It was Dancing Cockroach, and with him was Ms. Obeme. The two of them were mourning the loss of Serving man 2, along with Minecraft Dog. ' ' “He was a noble man,” commented Ms. Obeme, wiping the tears from her eyes. “We’ll never forget him,” choked Dancing Cockroach, his lips quivering with each vowel he pronounced. ' ' The three buried Serving man 2 by the side of the road where Minecraft Dog had found him. They planted Irises, the state flower, over the spot where he lay buried, so that everyone who drove past him would remember him. ' ' “We’ve lost a great comrade today, but at least we’re still alive,” remarked Ms. Obeme, trying to lighten up the situation. “It could’ve been worse. We should probably get going now. The presidential helicopter survived the crash.” ' ' Ms. Obeme was right. Opposite of where the shattered limo lay, the helicopter sat in pristine condition. It’s white paint reflected the light of the afternoon sun. ' ' “C’mon boys, lets go,” ordered Ms. Obeme, climbing aboard the helicopter. Minecraft Dog was forced to leave his grief behind as he and Dancing Cockroach got on the helicopter with Ms. Obeme. ' ' “Umm, does anyone know how to pilot a helicopter? I sure don’t,” sighed Ms. Obeme. ' ' “I do,” boasted Dancing Cockroach, sitting down in the pilot’s seat. “Not only did I take dancing lessons when I was a young larvae; I also took piloting lessons.” Pushing a few buttons, the helicopter’s engine sprung to life, sputtering with raw energy. Spinning faster and faster, the turbines propelled the steel machine into the sky. ' ' “And now...We fly,” exclaimed Dancing Cockroach, shifting the control stick forward. The helicopter lurched, and headed in the direction of Kingsport, Tennessee. ' ' “Oh, Dancing Cockroach! Your piloting skills are marvelous! I should hire you as a presidential pilot when we get back to D.C,” fawned Ms. Obeme. ' ' A sickly, unfamiliar feeling crept into Minecraft Dog. Could this be...Jealousy? Certainly not. Dancing Cockroach was a friend, not an enemy. But it made Minecraft Dog cringe to hear HIM getting all the praise from Ms. Obeme. ' ' His thoughts were interrupted by Dancing Cockroach. ' ' “Looks like we’re low on fuel,” he acknowledged. “We’ll need to stop for a refill...But where?” Off in the distance, the three could clearly see the shape of a building. Minecraft Dog immediately recognized it. ' ' “NORTH EAST STATE,” he blurted out. “We can stop there to fill up!” “Great idea, Minecraft Dog,” chirped Ms. Obeme. Minecraft Dog’s jealousy faded away. It felt good to have Ms. Obeme’s praise again. ' ' Landing the helicopter in North East State’s parking lot, Minecraft Dog began to explain the plan. ' ' “Alright amigos, listen to me carefully. Somewhere in the campus, I believe that we will find helicopter fuel. Do I make myself clear?” “Yes,” said Dancing Cockroach and Ms. Obeme. ' ' But something felt...Off...During the short time they’d been at North East State, they hadn’t seen a single student. It was a Tuesday afternoon, so there should’ve been at least one student on the campus. What if something had happened to them? What if they would find out if they entered the building? Nobody wanted to discuss it, for it filled them with fear. ' ' Mustering up their last ounce of courage, the three made way into the campus. What they saw next startled them. ' ' The room they’d entered, the lobby (from what the faded sign read), looked like an absolute mess. Trash was sterned about in every corner of the room as far as the eye could see. All the windows were boarded up, so that no light could creep into the room. The walls were spray-painted with graffiti. The place looked like it had been abandoned for years… ' ' “L-Lets go back. This place is giving me the creeps,” stammered Dancing Cockroach. ' ' “NO! We can’t go back now. We’ve already come so far,” snapped Minecraft Dog. His response was met by a quick nod from Dancing Cockroach. ' ' “Umm, guys? What’s that,” cautioned Ms. Obeme, pointing a shaky finger at a pile of trash. ' ' “It’s just some tra-” The pile of trash began to shake violently as a humanoid figure emerged from the rubble. “I...AM...PLUG MAN…” His broken voice sent shivers down the three’s’ spines’. It sounded as if it had been decaying away with Plug Man’s tarnished body. He looked neglected. ' ' “I WAS ABANDONED BY THE STUDENTS OF NORTH EAST STATE. THEY LEFT ME FOR DEAD. IN CONSIQUENCE FOR THEIR ACTIONS, THEY HAVE BEEN TERMINATED. YOU THREE WILL EITHER SUBMIT TO ME, OR PERISH LIKE THEY DID.” The rods of metal which protruded from his left arm and shoulders began to spark erratically. It was clear; he would electrocute the three if they didn’t give into him. ' ' The three were too scared to speak up. What should they say? Should they submit to this strange robot, or should they make a run for it? Should they even say anything at all? “SPEAK NOW,” ordered Plug Man. ' ' “I...I dunno, man. S-Seems kinda gay to me,” stammered Minecraft Dog, strands of sweat rolling down his forehead. ' ' “WRONG ANSWER. YOU THREE WILL FACE ANNIHILATION,” addressed Plug Man, making his way towards the three. ' ' “RUUUUUN,” shouted Minecraft Dog. The three took off running past Plug Man, enraging him furthermore. ' ' “STAY STILL. THIS WILL ONLY TAKE A MINUTE,” ordered Plug Man, his torso doing a full 180 to get in line with the three. ' ' “Where do we go?” asked Dancing Cockroach. Truth be told, Minecraft Dog wasn’t so sure himself. Three sets of double doors towered before them, each beckoning the group to enter. Finally, the three decided on the middle set. Pushing through the doors, they found themselves in another room, just as trashed as the lobby. They continued running. Their only concern now was Plug man. They could hear his monotone voice from the other end of the room. ' ' “COME...BACK…” ' ' There were no other doors, or windows, in the room they’d just entered. They were trapped like rats. ' ' “I don’t want to die,” whimpered Ms. Obeme, embracing Minecraft Dog in a tight, trembling hug. ' ' “Me neither, senorita.” Dancing Cockroach began to say a silent prayer to himself as Plug Man approached. ' ' “THIS WON’T HURT...MUCH…” Electricity began to fly from his body as he advanced towards the three. This was it. This was the end… ' ' Suddenly, as though God had answered Dancing Cockroaches prayers, a miracle happened. Another robot emerged from a pile of rubble, a robot who seemed much more friendly… “I, OUTLET MAN, WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO HARM THESE INNOCENT PEOPLE,” bellowed the robot, standing protectively in front of the three. ' ' “YOU...I THOUGHT YOU WERE LONG DEAD,” growled Plug Man. It appeared that Plug Man and Outlet Man had a history. ' ' “YOU ARE WEAK. THAT IS WHY I STILL STAND,” beckoned Outlet Man. “COME AT ME, BRO.” ' ' The taunting was too much for Plug Man to handle. Out of his anger, he charged into Outlet Man, shoving his plug-arm into one of his outlets. ' ' “DIE, FIEND!” Oil began to trickle down Outlet Man’s opened mouth as he spazzed erratically, electricity jolting from his frail figure. ' ' “RUN,” he snapped in between random electrical spasms. ' ' The three didn’t waste a moment to get the hecc out of there. Minecraft Dog made sure that Ms. Obeme and Dancing Cockroach safely made it out first. ' ' “C’MON GUYS, GET GOING,” shouted Minecraft Dog, holding open the door for Ms. Obeme and Dancing Cockroach. ' ' Looking back, he could see the scene playing out before him; Outlet Man now had the upper hand. He was strangling Plug Man with his long, slender, almost rope-like arms. ' ' “Thank you,” uttered Minecraft Dog, before catching up to the others. ' ' The three ran for their lives, not even sure where they were going. All they knew was that they needed to survive. ' ' “Senorita...I...Am...Out...Of...Breath,” wheezed Minecraft Dog, collapsing onto the floor. He felt ashamed of himself. He was a man, and yet he couldn’t even keep up with a woman and a cockroach. ' ' Ms. Obeme and Dancing Cockroach seemed to be understanding of Minecraft Dog’s weak-willed lungs. ' ' “Let us take a break then,” said Ms. Obeme, sitting down next to Minecraft Dog. Dancing Cockroach sat down next to them, huffing and puffing about. ' ' “W-Where are we now,” breathed Dancing Cockroach, wiping off the sweat that was trickling down his forehead. ' ' They were now in a long hallway. It seemed to have no end as it stretched into the endless darkness. On either side of the hallway lay heaps upon heaps of piled trash. Voices could be heard coming from the trash… ' ' “Please, help us…” “AAAaaAAaAAAAAaaaaAAa.” ' ' “I just wanna go home…” ' ' *Amger beep* ' ' The voices grew increasingly louder, until they were unbearable. Minecraft Dog felt as though his ear drums were being split in two. ' ' Suddenly, more robots emerged from the piles of rubbish. They all bore similar appearances to Plug Man, but at the same time they were very much different… ' ' ' ' At first Minecraft Dog wasn’t sure what to do. Should he run? Should he approach the robots? He chose the latter. Something about these robots compelled him in a way that Plug Man failed to do. They didn’t seem to have the same begrudging intentions that Plug Man had. ' ' “Can you help us?” asked Minecraft Dog. He was surprised by the response he received. ' ' “Yes,” croaked the robot with two heads. :...But can you help us?” He didn’t know how to respond. It seemed that there was no need to, as the robot with two heads began to explain itself. ' ' “I am Sands Understale, and these are my comrades: Choo Choo Man, Hard Man, and Mega PP Man. We’ve been trapped here for years. The college students created us, and then left us here wither away to dust. We’re all past our prime, more closely resembling trash than actual robots. We’re long past our glory days. If we help you out, then you have to promise to help us. Please, I’m begging you…” ' ' “But how do we help you?” Asked Minecraft Dog. He felt bad for these robots, but what could he do? He was just a cactus, after all, with his beautiful girlfriend and a dancing cockroach. ' ' “To help us, all you have to do is set us free from this Godforsaken college campus,” informed Sands Understale, a glimmer of hope shining in his robotic eyes. “You can do that, can’t you?” “Of cour-” Footsteps, or something like footsteps could be heard from the other end of the hallway. They sounded heavy, and they were drawing closer… ' ' Why, it was Outlet Man! With him he carried the decapitated head of Plug Man. He was dead. Outlet Man had come out victorious. ' ' Celebratory cries arose from the robots. Minecraft Dog and his companions joined them enthusiastically. ' ' “HOORAY! PLUG MAN IS DEAD,” they cheered. “THREE CHEERS FOR OUTLET MAN! HIP-HIP, HOORAY! HIP-HIP, HOORAY! HIP-HIP, HOORAY!” ' ' Once they were done celebrating, they went outside to the courtyard and buried Plug Man’s bodiless head in the dumpster. Respectn’t to the sadistic robot was paid, thus ending the ceremony. Just as Minecraft Dog was about to make plans for getting back to Kingsport, it suddenly occurred to him that they still didn’t have fuel for the helicopter. ' ' “Oh no...This is a disaster,” sighed Minecraft Dog, burying his face in his prickly hands. “We can’t get back to KIngsport if we have no fuel.” ' ' He felt a cold, metallic hand rest upon his shoulder. It was Sands Understale. ' ' “I never thought I’d be doing this, but necessary sacrifices must be made,” declared Sands Understale. Minecraft Dog was as confused as he was intrigued. ' ' Sands Understale popped the lid to the GPS tracker on his chest, revealing a fuel cap. What was he doing? “The fuel that gives me life is the same fuel your helicopter runs on,” informed Sands Understale. “Lead me to your helicopter, and I will sacrifice myself for the safety of everyone else.” “But senor, you can’t! You simply can’t! Please, don-” “My time has come,” butted in Sands Understale. “Take me to your helicopter.” Reluctantly, Minecraft Dog lead the robot to the helicopter. The others followed close behind. ' ' “Change da world. My final message. Goodbye,” were the last words Sands Understale would ever say as he unscrewed the lid to his fuel cap, and then the helicopter's fuel cap. Fuel trickled down his chest, filling the helicopter until it was topped off with fuel. All life had been sucked away from the two headed robot, in exchange for the safety of the others. Such a brave soul... ' ' With much mourning came the departure from North East State in their newly refueled helicopter. They barely managed to squeeze everyone onto the helicopter. ' ' Higher into the sky they climbed. North East State looked like a spec from where they floated. Somewhere off in the distance, Serving man 2’s grave could be distinguished by the purple specs of irises. ' ' The sudden beeping took everyone by surprise. “WOARMEN! WARAPENAM! THORT DETIKTOKEDED!” ' ' The helicopter seemed to be a little damaged, as nobody could make out what the hEcC it was trying to say. There was no need for it to speak no more, as the shape of Boomer Man could be seen flying close behind the helicopter. He was using his arm launchers to propel himself closer to the helicopter. A sudden fear gripped the hearts of everyone. ' ' “MILLENNIALS DETECTED,” bellowed Boomer Man, positioning his pp launcher so it aligned perfectly with the helicopter. “PREPARE FOR YOUR DEMISE. PP ROCKET LAUNCHING IN TEN, NINE, EIGHT…” Chaos erupted from within the helicopter. What were they to do? “SEVEN, SIX, FIVE…” Suddenly, an idea came to life. Dancing Cockroach knew just what to do. ' ' “EVERYBODY, CALM DOWN! I have an idea,” he announced, silencing the fearful crew. Pushing a big red button, countermeasures shot from the sides of the helicopter. ' ' ' ' “FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE…” A deafening ‘BOOM’ sounded as a rocket accelerated from Boomer Man’s pp launcher. “WIFE BAD,” was crudely painted on either side of the rocket. ' ' As the countermeasures flew away from the helicopter, the rocket turned tail and followed after them, instead of the helicopter. Everyone cheered as Boomer Man shouted in dismay. ' ' “NOOOOOO! NONONO! STUPID ZOOMERS AND THEIR TECHNOLOGY!” ' ' “Now to finish him off once and for all,” muttered Dancing Cockroach, pushing another button. “This is for Serving man 2.” ' ' The helicopter began to shake violently, before spitting out a rocket. Boomer Man erupted into a fiery blaze as the rocket collided with him. Down into the atmosphere he plummeted as the crew cheered on their victory. ' ' “Now, onwards,” ordered Minecraft Dog. ' ' As they neared Kingsport, Minecraft Dog immediately noticed that something was...Off… The sign that welcomed them to Kingsport had not one, but two comminust pride flags draped on both sides. “Welcome to Kingspport,” the sign read. Minecraft Dog could feel his heart sinking in his chest. What had happened to his beloved hometown while he was gone? ' ' The sign was their first warning that something terrible had happened to Kingsport… As they entered the heart of the city, they saw it all...Furries, EVERYWHERE. They roamed the streets in packs, searching for something...Humans, Minecraft Dog assumed. The city was in ruins. ' ' Thick, rainbow smog and smoke rising from the flaming buildings covered the entire city like a deadly blanket. It was the rainbow smog that alerted Minecraft Dog more than anything. ' ' “What is this stuff?” wheezed Dancing Cockroach in between coughing fits. “It’s burning my throat!” “Homo-erectus gas,” muttered Minecraft Dog, fanning the noxious gas away from his nose. “Try not to inhale it. You’ll turn into a furry.” ' ' Everybody took precaution and strapped on emergency gas-masks that were safely tucked away in the helicopter’s storage compartment. They were safe...For now. ' ' TO BE CONTINUED...